This compared with a rate of 444.3 children with abnormalities per 10,000 live births (4.44%) for all congenital abnormalities in the British Columbia Health Surveillance Registry, 1979-1988 (relative risk=1.91, P=0.03).

Six of the 12 children had cardiovascular malformations.

These and previous results suggest that there may be a common developmental origin to neuroblastoma and to some congenital malformations.

Genes that control development may be worthy of further study in these children.